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This game was a huge success at our summer camps.
To start you will need one dozen eggs for every two teams. Seven of the eggs in each dozen should be boiled and five should not. Mix them up in the carton so you can't tell which ones are which.
We had the teams (small groups) send a representative up to challenge a representative from another team. They each selected one egg and (on a count of three) smashed it on their head. The first team to get three of the raw eggs lost.
Here is a video of Jimmy Fallon doing this with Ryan Reynolds:
Please share other ideas and stories of your experience of this game below!
Photo by Kate Remmer on Unsplash

I have been involved in our Diocesan summer camp now for about 14 years. As a youth, a volunteer, and now the coordinator of the camp, this is always the favorite.
What You Need
This game only works with a larger group of people. We have about 80-100 youth and about 30 counselors. You could have less (or more), but would need to adjust a few things. As I explain the game, keep in mind the numbers we had.
As far as supplies, your basic supplies would be:
Bandanas – 10 of two different colors (we use red and blue)
10 Long Socks
Flour
Markers
Different Colored Yarn
Those are the basic supplies, but you will also need supplies for several stations.
How The Game Is Played
There are several stations that each of the youth must try to complete. They get a string tied to their wrist every time they complete a station. We would have 12 stations. One person at a time can try to complete each station. Each station can also form a line of up to three people waiting to do the station. If you have 100 youth this would mean that about 1/2 of the youth are at a station and the other half are trying to find one that is available.
While all of that is going on, there are Bonkers (wearing red bandanas) running around trying to hit the youth with a sock filled with flour. The youth working at the station and the three in line are safe. Everyone else can be bonked. If you are bonked, the bonker will mark your arm with a marker and you are frozen until a medic (wearing blue bandanas) comes and saves you. They will turn your mark in to a cross and you will be free to run again.
The game is played over a large field, with plenty of room to run around and is played for a set amount of time.
You count up points by adding all of the strings up and subtracting the number of bonks.
Other Helpful Hints
We had about 10 bonkers and about 8 medics each time we played.
Bonkers are not allowed to throw the sock at youth while they are running to get them.
Make the stations fun but not necessarily easy.
If possible have one person running the station and another to tie string on the the wrists of the youth.
Use a permanent marker so it is harder to wash off during the game.
Youth are only allowed to complete each station once.
What Types of Stations To Use?
Here is a list of some ideas for stations that you can use:
Spin around a bat 10 times and shoot a finger dart at a rock
Drink 2 glasses of water
Catholic Apologetics (answer questions about the faith)
Count to 100
Balance a glass of water on your head and walk from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’
Change in to one set of clothes, run to one end, change in to another set of clothes and run back.
Name 5 counselors
Talk for 30 seconds without saying the words ‘Like, Umm, or Hmm..’
Tell a joke
Carry 10 bats from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ and back all at once without dropping any
Blow up a balloon, tie it, and sit on it to pop it.
Take a piece of gum and blow a bubble
Find a verse in the bible
Make a paper airplane and have it land in a certain area
(two people) Do the wheel barrel with each other from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’
Enjoy!

In leading 100’s of games over about 16 years this has been one of the favorites.
Materials Needed
blindfolds
a marked off area (either a square in a gym or made with cones)
dodge balls (softer is better)
Setup
Set up the boundaries. Have each person find a partner. One of them will be blindfolded and the other will not. Place a good number balls scattered around within the boundary. The blindfolded person will be in the boundary area and their teammate will be on the outside. To start, no one should be holding any balls and it works well to move the person around a bit so they don’t know exactly where they are at or which way they are facing when the game starts.
Game Play
When the leader says “GO” the teammates on the outside of the play area will guide their teammates to grab a ball and throw it at the other within in the play area. When a person gets hit by a ball or goes outside of the boundary, they are out. Play until only one person is remaining.
I found many versions of this on YouTube. I’ve included a video I found of the version we played below.

I can’t believe it has taken this long for me to find this game. Grab some potatoes and some buckets and you are good to go! Divide your youth into groups or run it individually. The person takes a potato, puts it between their legs, takes the potato to the bucket and drops it. If they drop the potato anywhere else on accident, they must go back to the beginning and try again. The person or team with the most potatoes in the buckets after a set amount of time wins!

Found another quick and easy youth ministry game on YouTube. The directions are very simple. Find a hula hoop or something like it. Have a group of youth join hands. When you say go, they have to pass the hula hoop around the entire circle without letting go.
Watch the video for a good example of it!

I am coming to the realization that the game that our youth group played more than anything is not well known by other youth leaders. Luckily I have a platform to tell the world about it. So here it is!
Pin Guard = Dodge ball With Pins
It really is that simple. If you know how to play dodge ball, Pin Guard is the exact same game except that you can either win by getting everyone on the other team out of the game (like Dodge ball) or by knocking down the all of the other teams pins.
We typically played in the gym and would place three pins along the back line of the basketball court, one on each corner and one in the middle.
How Do You Play Dodge Ball?
I feel sorry for those who may be asking this question (I love Dodge ball). So I did a little research and found a great quick YouTube video for you to watch here!

This is pretty clever youth ministry icebreaker that I found while searching YouTube for some ideas.
Instructions
Have two or more teams. Have them lie down on their backs in a long line (one persons head at the other persons feet). The person at the front starts with a banana in between their feet and must lift their legs up to pass it on to the next persons feet. The first team to get the banana all the way back to the end of their line wins!
Here's an example I found on YouTube.

This is a simple icebreaker that I have used several times. It is great in that it requires people to share about themselves, but in a competitive way.
Supplies Needed
You will need 20-25 pieces of paper for each person. I just give everyone one sheet of paper and have them tear it into 20 pieces.
How It Works
One person will start by saying one fact about themselves. It should reveal something about their person that others may not have known about them. The goal is to come up with something that as many people as possible would NOT have in common with them. For the other people, if they have that thing in common with the person, then they do nothing. If they do not have it in common with them, then they have to throw a piece of paper in the middle.
The goal of the game is to be the last person with paper in your hands.
Example
One person could start by sharing that they have never broken a bone in their body. For everyone else, if they have broken a bone in their body, they would throw a piece of paper in the middle. If they have not broken a bone, they keep their pieces.
Suggestions
It is best to break them up into small groups so that you go around the circle several times, getting to know each person a bit more. You should also continue to remind them that it should be something that reveals something about you that the others may not have known. “I am wearing Red shoes” is boring and obvious.

This game is one of the more funnier games to watch. It is very simple but is wide open for variations.
Supplies Needed
Hats (usually simple winter caps are fine)
Tape
Something Else
How the game works
Have as many people that you want playing to put on one of the hats. Then you will cover the hat with tape, sticky side facing out. On the floor, you will have a lot of small objects (we have used coins or q-tips before). When the leader says GO, everyone with a taped hat on will move around on the floor trying to get as many objects as they can stuck on their hat. They can only use their head to do so (no hands).
A couple of extras or variations
We have had a great time putting the hat over their eyes so they could only move around by the help of their teammates voices.
You could place different objects that are worth different values
You could place several different objects around the room and call out what they should go for. After a set amount of time, call out the next item.

This is a youth ministry game that we started playing about two years ago and is always a great game because it is quick to put together, the supplies are minimal and it is extremely competitive and engaging.
The Ideal Setting
This game works if you have anywhere from 12-99 people. Those may seem like random numbers to you, but the trick is that people are in teams of three. So as long as you have a dividend of three you are good, but the more teams you have to more crazy it gets.
Game Set-Up (image below)
You will set-up a circle game area using cones, tape, or maybe the center of a basketball court. Then you will have all of the groups line up outside of the circle and have the three people in each group form a line. Then you will have random objects (or just small balls) in the middle of the circle.
How The Game is Played
Each person on each team will be given a name. The first person is named Larry, the second is Curly, and the third is Moe. The person leading the game will say one of those three names. Whichever person has their name called will run around the circle, around all of the other teams, until they get back to their team. Then they will go under the legs of their two teammates and rush to the center to grab one of the objects in the middle. There will be less objects in the middle than the number of teams and the teams that do not get an object are out of the game. You play until you are down to one team.
Miscellaneous Stuff
Be sure to state that teams can not “back-up” to slow the other teams down.
As you get fewer teams, have the spread out evenly across the circle.
A good strategy is to have the two members get really close so that is it easier to get through their legs.
Usually better if you can have gender separated teams.
Have fun and trick people by saying one of the names leisurely instead of shouting it out.
Image of play

This youth ministry game is a favorite and very simple. Buy some lifesavers and toothpicks. All of the youth are given a toothpick and put in to teams with even numbers and each team is given a lifesaver.
Have all of the teams stand in a line. When the youth leader says go, the youth will pass the lifesaver to each other using only the toothpick in their mouth. If the lifesaver is dropped, the group must start over from the beginning of the line. The first team to pass it to all of their members without dropping it wins.
If teams have more people than another, have some people do it twice to balance it out.

his Catholic youth ministry game is very simple, requires just a little prep, but can be done several times.
Materials Needed – Notecards
Have everyone site in a circle or in a line. What you will do is you will have cards pre-made that have a category and one answer to that category on it. Starting with one person they have to name something from that category in five seconds or less. There are three ways they can get out:
Say something that someone else has said
Not be able to come up with something in five seconds or less
They say the answer on the card
You have one answer on the card because the kids think it’s crazy when the first person gets out. Play until you are down to one player.
Example To Use
States in the U.S.
Church Staff Member Names
Holidays
Positions in Football (or any sport)
Youth Group Family Member Names
Letters in the Alphabet
U.S. Presidents
Priests in the Diocese or Past Parish Priests
Gifts or Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Past Youth Group Games
Enjoy!

Materials Needed – Lots of quarter sheets of scratch paper, pens/markers, chairs (optional) and a few volunteer helpers and printed download (available below).
This has been one of my favorite youth group games to play. It is a quiet game that draws great competition and requires team work. The game is basically a mix of the three games mentioned in the title.
Directions
We use chairs that you can straddle while sitting on them. For ease of explanation I will use 10 youth and 4 volunteers as the example. You can adjust depending on your numbers. For 10 youth, I would break the group in to two teams of five. Have each team sit in a line in the chairs behind each other. The game requires youth to write invisibly on each other’s back.
What will happen is the person in the back will be given a sheet with a number of pictures. That will person will draw the pictures one at a time on the persons back in front of them. That person will attempt to draw the same picture on the next person until it makes it’s way to the front. The front person will have a pen and tons of scratch paper and will attempt to draw the original picture. They will show each attempt to a volunteer in the front. The volunteer will check off the pictures one at a time as they are done.
Each picture has a number and the volunteer in the front can communicate with the person in the back when each picture is completed. Otherwise, there is no talking allowed. The game is played until one team gets all of the pictures checked off.
Hint(s)
Be very strict with the no talking rule. In my experience when teams start talking and anyone starts cheating in any way, it can ruin the game pretty quickly. If the game takes too long (which is possible) then give them an amount of time they have left and the one with the most at the end of the time wins.
Lastly, be sure to have plenty of extra scratch paper and pens. The game moves pretty quick once it gets started.
Materials
Of course we will not give you instructions to a game like this without providing you with great printable resources to help with it. The printout includes the sheet with eight pictures for the person in the back and score sheets for the volunteer in the front. It is sometimes helpful to have the sheet in the back cut up so they can throw away the pictures they have done.
I've included two versions of the games so it can be played twice! The second one is a bit more difficult.
Enjoy!
Pictionary Tag - Game 2.pdf
Pictionary Tag - Game 1.pdf

To play this youth ministry game you don’t need a four square and you do not need to be outside. Grab some painters tape and map out a larger four square area on the floor. Try to make it about 2-3 times as big as a regular four square and you can make it a rectangle shape (like a gym) if you need to. Doing so will actually make the game a little more interesting.
The game is played just like 4-square except with teams. Each area should have room to allow about 3-4 people to comfortably move around. Number the four squares in order and make teams. You need at least four teams. If you have more than four teams have the extras line up outside of square number four.
Square number one will serve the ball by bouncing it on their side and slapping it to another square. Whatever square it lands in has to hit it into another square before it bounces a second time. When someone misses or hit the ball out of bounds, they go to square four and everyone else moves up towards square one. (square three moves to two, two moves to three, etc.)
You can make up your own rules as things comes up such as can teams hit it twice, can you play off the wall, etc.
Ask any questions in the comments section below!
Enjoy!

Materials Needed
Sweatpants and shirt or loose clothing for each group
Lots of Balloons
Directions
Start this youth ministry game by telling each group (typically 3-5 in a group is good) that one person will need to put on the loose clothing over their clothes. When you say go, each group must blow up and put as many balloons in the clothes of the person in the group as they can until you say stop. Be sure put size minimums on the balloons, so that are big enough. When the time is up, tell them that the first person to pop all of their balloons wins. They have two rules. They can not use their hands or the help of anyone else in the room.
The trick to this game is acting like the most balloons in the sweats wins and then twisting the game at the end (That’s why we called it balloon SHOCK!)
Say go and sit back and watch the hilarious ways that they come up with to pop the balloons.

This youth ministry game is probably the one game that has never gotten old at our youth group. It is a great easy quick game that can be thrown in just about anywhere to get kids moving. It is one of the only games I have found where kids do not hesitate to hit people they don’t even know with a pool noodle.
Set-Up
Have everyone make a big circle with chairs. In the middle of the circle have a garbage can or bucket. One person starts in the middle with a pool noodle (or half of one if it is too big).
Game Play
The person in the middle will hit someone sitting with the pool noodle (no face shots). Then they will run and put the noodle in the garbage can and try to get in to the seat of the person they hit before the person who was hit grabs the noodle from the garbage can and hits them (try saying that ten times fast).
If they person in the middle makes it to the chair before they are hit, they are safe and the new person hits someone else. If they are hit before they make it back, they must go again.
If you have more than about 10 people, you can definitely get more than one noodle going at a time.
Other Rules To Mention
– No pushing or intentionally running in to another person.
– The noodle must land in the garbage can or the person starts over.
– You can not hit the person who just hit you.
Be sure to have some music in the background and this game can go on for awhile before they get tired of it.
Enjoy!

Here’s a quick game that works in almost any setting…plus everybody gets to play. All you need is a hand towel (or dish towel). Here’s how you do it. Prior to the game, tie a small knot in the middle of a hand towel. (You may want to do this to several hand towels to speed up play.) Then, get everybody that wants to play into a circle, facing inward. This is an “every man for themselves” kind of game. The object is for players to throw the hand towel at the other players in the circle, hitting them BELOW the neck, and eliminating them from play. Players who are hit must leave the circle. The last 4 players standing, are the winners.
Here are the rules:
Players CANNOT throw the towel at people standing two places on either side of them. (In other words, they need to throw “across” the circle and not at somebody close by.)
If a player throws the towel and hits another player in the neck, face, or head, the player who threw the towel is out. (Have a judge handy to make calls about this one. For instance, a player could have thrown a towel low enough, but the other player “ducked” into it.)
After a throw (that gets somebody out or misses) ANYBODY who grabs the towel off the floor can throw it. There is no order for throwing.
Catching is NOT allowed. Players must absolutely dodge the thrown towel
NOTE: The extra hand towels can be used to speed up the pace of the game so that students aren’t chasing the towel between every throw. You can also use multiple towels at once for a real frenzy! Have fun with this addicting little game!